


From Partners to Brothers

by Fanofeverything101



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Bromance, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24137353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanofeverything101/pseuds/Fanofeverything101
Summary: Before Jack and Mac were brothers, working together for the Phoenix Foundation, they were assigned as partners in the military. What all happened there to make them so close? What happened that changed their partnership to brotherhood?*Rated T to be safe*
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. Past Revealed

**Author's Note:**

> Like everyone else who loves the Mac and Jack bromance on the show, I was totally curious to how they met and their friendship and bromance came to be. When we finally got snippets of it in the episode Mac + Jack (which was a great episode!), I couldn’t help but feel it was a little rushed and that there was still so much more that we haven’t seen, so I decided to expand more on how their friendship came. I know that there are a lot of fics about this, but I couldn’t help myself. This story does contain spoilers and references to Mac + Jack, so if you haven’t seen that episode yet, watch it before you read.

It took one week for Jack to start regretting his decision to stay for another tour in Afghanistan. It wasn’t a true regret, as though he was now trying to find a way to get out of his tour and head back home, but more of a ‘why did I get myself into this?’ kind of regret. And it was all thanks to MacGyver.

Mac and Jack had been informed that there could be a bomb in a small village nearby. Without hesitation, the two made their way to the village. It was extremely small, only eight buildings, so it shouldn’t have taken to long, and it wouldn’t have, if the insurgents hadn’t come out of one of the buildings and started firing at them.

Jack immediately started firing back as the two of them ducked for cover. While Jack was taking care of them, Mac apparently had the ‘great’ idea to go around the building and sneak inside, assuming that the bomb was probably inside given how the insurgents were protecting the doorway. To be honest, it wasn’t a terrible plan.

But that didn’t mean it was a good plan, especially where Jack was concerned. He had found three, major, problems with Mac’s idea. One, Mac didn’t let him know what he was thinking and planning to do, so Jack had no clue as to what was going on. Two, he didn’t check how many people where still in the building, assuming that all of them were firing at Jack. Three, he didn’t wait for the backup that his partner had called.

Once the backup team had arrived that Jack had called, which was only two other soldiers, they quickly dealt with the insurgents and it was then that Jack realized that MacGyver was missing. He tried to see if he could spot the blonde, but didn’t see him anywhere. It was then that he heard gunshots coming from inside the building. Without giving it a second thought, Jack ran inside with his gun raised.

Jack quickly spotted his partner ducking behind a broken done couch got cover while another insurgent came down the narrow flight of stairs, firing at the bomb expert. A sudden surge of rage and need to protect the young man came over the sniper and he started shooting. Even though Jack had taken care of him with only shot, he put at least four into the insurgent who was trying to kill his partner.

When he fell down the remaining stairs to the ground, Jack turned to face Mac, who was slowly coming out of his hiding spot. Despite the fact that the older, more experienced soldier was glaring at him, Mac smiled and lifted his hand, revealing a crudely made bomb.

“I found it.” Mac stated. Jack said nothing, though the glare said it all. Mac wisely didn’t say anything else. He just got up and followed the sniper out of the building.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

The two didn’t speak to each other pretty much for the rest of the day. The only time they did was basically when they were responding to orders. At one time, Mac tried to engage his older partner in a conversation, but the silence remained as Jack shot him a deathly glare. Mac didn’t try again, unsure of what he did to get such a cold response from the sniper, now was he sure how to proceed with fixing it.

Sure, he knew that he probably shouldn’t have gone in he building without telling Jack, but he knew that the gunfire would draw the insurgents’ attention which could and would give him a chance to sneak in undetected. And since there was a possibility of them detonating the bomb, or throwing it him and his partner, then blowing them up, Mac felt he had to move fast, hence why he didn’t tell Jack. There wasn’t time.

It wasn’t until late at night that Mac tried once again to break the silence between them. The blonde purposely waited until the two other soldiers that had come to help them at the village were asleep before he moved to sit near Jack. Mac had a feeling that whatever was going on with the sniper, he didn’t want anyone listening in, neither did the bomb tech.

“You okay?” Mac asked carefully, not sure how Jack was going to react. After all, when they first met, Mac had tried to do something nice for the man, but he beat him up for it. Mac really didn’t want a repeat of that.

“I’m just peachy kid.” Jack answered, though it was clear from his tone that he was feeling the exact opposite.

“Look Jack, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you what I was thinking of doing before I went inside the building.” Mac told him, causing Jack to finally look at him. Well, glare at him, again.

“You mean you actually were thinking? Could’ve fooled me.” Jack shot at him before looking back at the campfire they were sitting in front of.

“Oh come on Jack, you know me. I’m always thinking.” Mac tried to joke, hoping that it would lighten Jack’s mood. The second that he turned to look back at him though, Mac knew it had done the opposite.

“Really? Cause it really didn’t seem like it. Why on earth would you do something as stupid as walking into a dangerous house blindly, without knowing what’s inside, and without letting anyone, namely me, know what you were doing?” Jack demanded harshly. Mac flinched slightly at the sniper’s tone and words. With the way Jack said it, yeah, it sounded like a really stupid thing to do, but they were all okay and they got the bomb. So why was he so angry?

“It all worked out though.” Mac reminded him. That however, seemed to make Jack more furious.

“And what if it hadn’t? I swear that was one of the most reckless, dumbest, things I have ever seen anyone do.” Jack informed him.

“Next time, I promise I will be more careful, alright? Can you please just calm down?” Mac requested. He was trying to keep calm himself as he could see that Jack was extremely close to snapping, but at this point, Mac was starting to get annoyed with the older man’s attitude. He understood that what he did was reckless, and maybe borderline idiotic, but it had all worked out. So why was Jack ticked off?

“You better keep that promise. Because what happens if you get yourself killed? I don’t wanna have to go to your funeral and explain to your Mama that you died because you did something stupid like you did today.” At that, Mac completely tensed up and clenched his jaw.

Despite the length of time he and Jack had spent together, he had never told him about his family or his past. Jack sure didn’t mind talking about his though, especially when he was counting down the days until he could go home. Mac actually found he liked hearing about the sniper’s family. Apparently it was a big one and they were all really close. However, he never asked about Mac’s past, not that the bomb expert minded. Even if Jack did, he wouldn’t have said anything. Why bother getting close to someone who made it clear that they were going to leave the first chance they got? Mac had had enough of people leaving him.

But Jack’s latest statement was the last straw. During the entire time they were partners, he’d been forced to listen to a number of rude remarks and insult and kept his mouth shut about it, usually. He had no idea how he kept from punching Jack when he brought up Pena’s death when they first met though. Now, Mac couldn’t help but feel as though Jack had crossed a line when he mentioned his mother, using her to guilt him like that. If they were going to be partners for the unforeseeable future, Mac knew that he would have to show Jack where the line was drawn.

“You’re not going to have to worry about anything like that.” Mac said through clenched teeth. Jack scoffed slightly as he looked over at him again.

“You’re that sure you’re going to be able to keep your promise?” Jack questioned with anger and a bit of amusement.

“No, but my Mom is dead. She died when I was a kid.” Mac revealed with an emotionless tone. If the blonde had turned his head to face his partner, he would’ve see Jack’s expression change from one of anger to one of shock. But as Mac continued, he kept his blue eyes on the fire.

“And you don’t have to worry about my Dad either, cause he took off not long after my Mom died. Haven’t seen him since. No grandparents or siblings either. So you can stop freaking out about dealing with my family if I die. I don’t have any.”

The silence that followed Mac’s revelation was deafening. This was the first time that Mac had ever made Jack apparently speechless. Despite the nerve wracking quiet, Mac kept his focus on the burning sticks and logs, not even so much as glancing in the sniper’s direction. Mac wasn’t exactly sure how Jack was going to respond to what he told him, and silence was starting to freak him out a little. The only person who knew this much about his past was Bozer. Not even Pena had known so much and Mac was already regretting telling Jack all he did.

“Kid,” Jack started, then stopped. It was obvious to the younger soldier that the older one still didn’t know what to say, but based on Jack’s tone of voice, it was most likely going to be some form of pity. Pity, was the last thing Mac wanted, so he stood up.

“Just forget it. I’m tired, you okay to keep watch by yourself until it’s their turn?” Mac wondered, finally looking over at Jack with his best poker face. Jack wordlessly nodded and Mac quickly turned around and walked a little ways away from the fire before lying down on the sand, his back facing the sniper.

For the remaining hours on Jack’s watch, the older soldier’s attention stayed on the sleeping bomb expert. At least, Jack assumed he was sleeping. It was very possible that Mac was just faking so he wouldn’t have to talk to him or answer any questions Jack might have. And Jack didn’t blame the kid whatsoever for doing that.

He hadn’t meant to upset Mac so much, he had just been so worried when he realized that Mac had gone in the building alone. When he had seen that enemy soldier firing at his partner, a fierce wave of anger and fear had come over him. Fear of Mac getting shot, fear of his partner dying. Jack should have expected it. He had been with other groups and partners before and knew how close you could get to your fellow soldiers, but this kid seemed to have snuck his way into Jack’s heart without him noticing.

All Jack had been trying to do was get Mac to understand that he had to be careful, the being even remotely reckless could get you killed out here, but would did he actually do? He apparently pushed and prodded some very old and very deep wounds that Jack didn’t even know that Mac had. He had suspected of course, but he never would have guessed that they were anything like that.

Jack tried to remember if his partner had ever said anything or given any kind of hint about his personal life, but he couldn’t come up with anything. There was one time Mac mentioned a friend named, what was it, Booster? Boozer? Bozer? Well, what the guy’s name was, it was the only personal thing that Mac had ever shared with him, until now that it. And given how Jack had acted towards the blonde for the majority of their partnership, he shouldn’t be surprised by how little he knew about MacGyver. The most of what he did know, he read in his file. Not only did he invade the kid’s privacy by doing that, he threw his former partner’s death in his face.

The more Jack thought about it and recalled the last few weeks ever since he met the young soldier, the more he was disgusted by his behaviour. While he had been angry that Mac had touched his stuff, and got down right furious he had to spend the remaining time of his tour with the bomb expert, which was usually the most boring job ever, Jack acted like a jerk to Mac when he didn’t deserve it. It was both of their faults’ that they got stuck together. And while Mac had seemed to try and make the most of it, or at least, somewhat bearable, Jack kept moaning and complaining. And yet, despite everything that the sniper did and said, Mac saved his life, risking his own in the process.

Jack knew he owed the kid one giant, fat, apology, probably with some groveling. For now though, he would let Mac get his sleep. He would need it. They had a lot of ground to cover tomorrow.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

That morning, Mac was extremely quiet, more so than usual. Jack didn’t like it one bit. When the blonde was talking, it let the brunette know that everything was okay, or at least, his brain was working right. The silence was beginning to drive him nuts. But Jack couldn’t bring the subject up, not yet. Not with the other two soldiers with them.

While he may not know a lot about his partner, he definitely knew that Mac would not want to discuss anything about his personal life around people he didn’t trust and Jack had to respect that, especially after everything that happened.

It wasn’t until lunch that the four soldiers broke up into groups of two again. Even though the morning only lasted a few hours, it felt like an eternity to Jack as Mc kept his mouth shut the entire time. And if that wasn’t enough, the kid barely looked at him and the few times he did, he never met Jack’s eyes. The one time Jack did manage to get a glimpse of those blues eyes, he saw and extremely guarded expression mixed with what appeared to be shame, as if he was an embarrassed at what he said and how he acted last night.

“Listen, Mac, I’m sorry, about last night.” Jack apologized about an hour after they split up from the other two soldiers.

“It’s okay, you couldn’t have known. Just forget about it.” Mac replied, looking down at the ground as they walked. Jack however, reached over and grabbed Mac’s arm to pull him to a stop. Once they both did, Jack dropped his hand and tried to meet the kid’s eyes.

“Don’t cut me any slack kid. Whether I knew or not, I shouldn’t have brought up your Mom that way. I shouldn’t have said a lot of things that I did over the last couple of weeks.” At that, Mac visibly tensed up, keeping his head down and gaze away from his partner.

“Jack, just forget about it. I don’t wanna talk about it.” Mac told him.

“I know, but we need to.” Jack insisted. When Mac didn’t say anything, he took that as permission to continue.

“I know I’ve been an a** to you ever since we met, especially since you were only trying to help, even though I didn’t need it.” Jack said the last part pointedly, causing a very small, very subtle smirk to appear on Mac’s face, though he kept his head lowered.

“And I’m sorry, I was, just angry that we got partnered together. No offense, it’s just that babysitting a bomb expert wasn’t how I wanted to finish my tour.” Jack explained. Mac nodded, understanding where the sniper was coming from. It wasn’t the first time he, and other bomb techs had gotten some rude behaviour from other soldiers and he doubted it would be the last.

“I am glad that we were partnered up though.” Jack revealed. The blonde’s head snapped up in less than a second when he realized what the older soldier had said.

“What?” Mac couldn’t believe what he heard. He knew that Jack had stayed because he felt like he owed him after he saved his life, but Mac wasn’t sure where the two actually stood, if they were really friends or not.

“Yeah. I mean, who else is willing to put up with me enough to be my friend?” Jack asked with a bright grin. Slowly, Mac grinned back at the sniper.

“I have no idea.” Mac answered, causing Jack to chuckle, which in return made the blonde laugh with him. A minute later though, the happy lighthearted moment ended, and Jack started to approach the other part of the subject of what happened yesterday, though, more carefully.

“So, do you think that next time we’re in the middle of a firefight, you can tell my whatever crazy plan you come up with? Or at the very least, be more careful?” Jack asked. Still grinning, Mac nodded.

“I can do that.” The bomb expert replied.

“Good, cause I ain’t ready to lose you yet bud.” Jack told him, clapping Mac gently on the back as he started walking again. Mac quickly followed, coming step in step with the older soldier.

As they kept moving in silence, a comfortable this time, Jack kept glancing over at the younger soldier. He still had no idea exactly when and how this kid got his way into his heart, but he did. Maybe it was the time Mac went on his own weeks ago and was almost killed, or maybe it was when he saved his life by disarming the bomb the had stepped on, but honestly, Jack was fairly sure it was both of those instances. However, the soldier found he didn’t really care because it didn’t matter. The kid had grown on him and Jack was okay with that. After all, there was no limit to how many friends you can have, or family members either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have no real knowledge about American military and how it works, so I was just winging it. Hope it wasn’t too bad. And I know that Mac and Jack might seem a little OOC, but remember, this was back when they first met, before they had become friends and brothers, so their relationship isn’t going to be exactly like it is in the show. And I just feel that Mac is a pretty guarded person when it comes to anything personal and he wouldn’t have shared much with Jack unless he was forced to, which he felt like he was in this instance, especially about his mother cause I can totally see him getting defensive if she was brought up. I hope you guys liked this chapter.


	2. Taking the Bullet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one thing I want to mention (again), before going into the next chapter. I have extremely limited knowledge on the war in Afghanistan, or the military. If I get anything wrong, I’m really sorry. Other than that, here’s the next chapter

Mac was an Explosive Ordinance Disposal expert, not really a soldier, as other soldiers would day. His job was to disarm bombs that could be used against them and make sure they stayed out of enemy hands. However, he knew that since he was in the military though, and in a warzone, that odds were he would have to do some actual fighting. That didn’t mean he was prepared for anything like this.

The entire town was a battleground, guns firing loudly, bullets flying from almost every direction. The moonless night masked everything in darkness. The only light came from the small fires that were caused by the grenades that were being thrown by the enemy soldiers and their own soldiers, but that light wasn’t much help. Mac could hardly see anything and with the guns and grenades constantly going off, it was impossible to use his ears to figure out where his partner was and what places were safe for him to hide while he figured out a plan.

They knew once they got this assignment that it wasn’t going to be easy. After receiving intel that there was a weapons cache in one of the outlying villages, they were sent to go check it out and seize the weapons if the intel was correct. Due to how many weapons said to be there, four other teams, consisting of two to five members, were sent with them, as the weapons were bound to be guarded by the insurgents in the area. Very heavily guarded, it turned out.

Nearly the minute they reached the village, they were bombarded with gunfire, grenades, and small-level bombs. They had arrived at the village almost two hours earlier, and had made very little progress. There were times when the fighting stopped and both groups tried to find a way to get the advantage and defeat the other, but nothing had worked out for either side.

Now though, Mac was separated from his partner as he was just the ‘bomb expert’ while Jack was a well-trained sniper. He was deemed far more useful in this fight than the blonde was. But with the new wave of flying bullets and bombs going off, Mac had lost track of the older soldier’s position and was now doing his best to find him. It was very difficult due to the lack of light and with everyone constantly ducking for cover.

Ever since Mac had opened up to Jack about his past a week ago, he had noticed a change in their partnership. Jack did his best to make the bomb expert feel more comfortable in the military, he started to treat him like a true equal, and like a real friend. He also seemed to have become more protective over the younger soldier, though Mac wasn’t quite sure if it was due to whatever caused Jack to change his mannerism to him, or if it was because he still had this idea that since Mac stayed with him when he stepped on that bomb, he owed him a life debt. Well, Jack called it a Wookie life debt, but it was basically the same thing.

Because of that, Mac could see in Jack’s face that he was not at all happy about being separated, but he had his orders and after the blonde agreed to try his hardest to stay out of harms way, he left with two of the other soldiers to find a weakness in the perimeter the insurgents set up. What Jack didn’t know though, was that Mac wasn’t any happier about being separated than he was. From the spot he was hiding in, he had followed his partner’s movements with his eyes as best as he could, but when the gunfire resumed and the grenades stated going off again, he lost track of him.

It wasn’t until now that Mac realized how close he had gotten to the older man. While he knew that they had gotten closer as the partnership started turning into a friendship, Mac was surprised at how worried he felt over his partner. The only time he felt this worried about his best friend Bozer, was when he got his appendix out. Mac brushed the thought away though and continued looked for Jack.

After ducking behind an old, rundown car for cover, Mac spotted a small grenade on the ground that hadn’t gone off. From the looks of it, the pin hadn’t been properly pulled which was why it hadn’t exploded yet. He quickly reached forward and grabbed it, putting it safely in his pocket to use when he needed to. As he did that though, he spotted a familiar looking soldier in one of the buildings. Despite the continued gunfire, Mac breathed a sigh of relief that not only had he finally spotted his partner, he was unharmed and relatively safe. Of course, that was when everything went to h*ll.

After finding out where Jack was, Mac was about to fall back to find a good spot where not only would he be safer, he would be able to find a good spot to throw the grenade he had found which could help them end this particular battle faster. Just as the bomb expert was about to move though, more bullets started flying, this time, directly at him, forcing him to move back to his spot behind the car. He reached into his pocket to grab the grenade, intending to use it to provide some cover to his movements, but he didn’t have to.

Jack had apparently seen what was going with his partner and had come to help, shooting the person who was trying to kill Mac. When he did that though, he left his spot in the building where he had cover from the other insurgents. At first, Mac gave the sniper a grateful smile, which Jack returned. But then, the smile dropped from his face and his expression turned to one of complete horror as he watched two bullets hit his partner and he fell to the ground, hitting his head on some debris as he did so.

Mac didn’t have time to really process what just happened. After seeing the sniper fall to the ground, his mind and body went completely numb and he moved on autopilot. The sound of gunfire and bombs going off nearby no longer registered in Mac’s wars. He just ran forward towards his partner, his friend. Unfortunately, Jack appeared to be out cold which meant that Mac would have to drag the older soldier to safety.

As Mac put his arms under Jack’s armpits so he could pull him out of the crossfire, more bullets started barreling straight towards the two soldiers. The blonde quickly spotted the insurgent doing the shooting and without a second thought, he grabbed the grenade, pulled out the pin and threw it at the enemy soldier. The second it was airborne, Mac grabbed his partner and started dragging him to safety.

The explosion caused by the grenade he threw forced Mac to fall on his back, but he didn’t let that stop him. He quickly got back up, got a hold of the unconscious soldier again, and pulled him behind the car he was hiding behind only minutes earlier. Once they were relatively safe, Mac looked over his partner to see how badly he was hurt and if he was even still alive.

To the bomb expert’s great relief, Jack was still breathing, but not as steadily as he should be. As Mac continued his examination, he found the bullet wound in the sniper’s right shoulder, his blood flowing freely. Not seeing any other wound, Mac assumed that either the other bullet missed him or hit his vest. Either way, Jack was lucky there was only one wound and it wasn’t in the area of hitting anything vital. He couldn’t tell how serious the head injury was at the moment though, so the blonde’s main concern at the moment was making sure his partner didn’t bleed out.

Ignoring the fighting that was still going on all around the two partners, Mac ripped off a long strip of fabric from his camo jacket, then wrapped it tightly around the wound to keep pressure on it. He then slipped off his belt and also wrapped it around Jack’s shoulder, about an inch in front of the wound to cut off the blood flow. Though he knew that if the makeshift tourniquet was left on too long, there was a chance that Jack could lose his arm, but it was either that or letting his partner die of blood loss.

As Mac finished tying the belt, he noticed something different. It was quiet, far too quiet. Though he could still hear the crackling of the fires that were caused by the bombs, he could no longer hear guns being fired, or the bombs going off. He didn’t even hear people shouting. If not for the fact he could hear the fires burning, he wouldn’t thought that he somehow busted an eardrum. Something must’ve happened during the fight, and the blonde was about to move so he could look and see what was going on when he finally heard something. The sound of footsteps coming in his direction.

Without thinking twice, Mac grabbed Jack’s rifle and pointed it in the direction where the footsteps were coming from, just as the person ‘rounded the car and came into sight. The bomb expert lowered the gun though when he saw it was a fellow soldier and not an insurgent, then turned his attention back to his injured partner. The soldier also came over to Jack, kneeling down on the wounded man’s other side, looking him over with a trained eye, making sure the sniper was alive and could be moved.

“We got a chopper in route. Once it’s here, we’ll get him on board. He’ll be okay.” The soldier informed and assured Mac, putting a comforting hand on the blonde’s shoulder. The younger soldier nodded, but kept his eyes on his partner, waiting for the snipe to wake up and tell him that he would be okay himself.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

The first thing Jack was aware as he regained consciousness, was an extremely annoying beeping. He wished that someone would put their fist through that alarm to make it stop. Or at least, he figured it was an alarm going off. After all, what else could it be? He tried to ignore it as he tried to go back to sleep, but it kept beeping, and beeping, and no one seemed to be stopping it. Finally getting fed up, he tried to move to shut it off himself, but immediately stopped when he felt a stabbing pain in his right shoulder.

He let out a groan, squeezing his eyes closed tightly instinctively even though he hadn’t opened them at all yet. The sniper then suddenly heard a rustling noise, like someone near him was moving around. Within seconds of hearing that, he felt a hand rest on top of his, then heard a voice saying, “Jack? Jack, are you awake?”

Recognizing the voice as Mac’s almost instantly, Jack forced his eyes open, though he clenched his jaw to keep from making any pained noises. His partner sounded and looked really worried as the sniper stared up at the blonde, and Jack hated. He didn’t want to do anything that might make it worse. Taking a lot longer than it should’ve, and with more effort than he thought possible, Jack finally managed to say, “Hey bud. You okay?”

Mac let out a quiet, small chuckle before he answered, “Yeah man, I’m good. I’m not the one who got shot.”

“No, but since I’m pretty sure I was knocked out when I got shot, no one was watching your back, so you could’ve been hurt.” Jack pointed out, looking his partner over before looking at his surroundings. It only took a few seconds for him to realize his was in the infirmary tent, and that the beeping noise that had woken him up was from the heart monitor.

“Well, don’t worry, I’m fine, thanks to you.” Mac assured him with a sincere smile, which Jack returned as he relaxed in his cot.

For a few minutes, the two stayed quiet, both lost in their own train of thoughts. Jack, trying to decide if he should fight his exhaustion and talk more with his partner, or if he should just got to sleep now that he knew the kid was okay. And Mac, torn between letting Jack get the rest he so clearly needed and tell him later how sorry he was for getting the sniper shot and how grateful he was to the older man for watching his back, or tell him now.

Jack however, reopened his eyes at that moment which allowed him to see the guilty expression on his partner’s face. Growing worried about the young man once again, the sniper asked, “Are you sure you’re okay man? You don’t look so good.”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I just,” Mac paused, still wondering if he should apologize to his partner now or if he should let him sleep. However, he could plainly see the concerned look on the older man’s face and knew that now he had worried Jack, there was no way that he would relax and go to sleep now. So, Mac ducked his head and continued.

“I’m, I’m sorry, really sorry. If I had just stayed put, you wouldn’t have gotten shot. You wouldn’t be lying here. I’m really sorry.”

Hearing the apology and overwhelming amount of guilt in his partner’s voice, Jack pushed himself into a sitting position. Or at least, he tried too. He realized within the first two seconds that it was a bad idea when his shoulder throbbed painfully, the movement pulling at his wound. The sniper let out a small groan, quickly getting Mac’s attention, but he ignored that and the pain, and sat upright.

“Listen to me Mac, you are my partner. It’s my job to protect you. This isn’t your fault.” Jack insisted. Mac though, shook his head, clearly not convinced.

“I went into the fight not thinking about how I was putting myself in danger. I, I couldn’t see you. I was worried you had gotten hurt.” Mac admitted, lowering his head even further as the irony dawned on him. He had gone willingly into the crossfire to find his partner and make sure he was okay, but it was because of that the sniper got hurt in the first place.

Jack lifted his good arm and put it on Mac’s shoulder. The touch obviously surprised the blonde because he jumped a little, but he quickly relaxed and looked up at Jack. Once he saw that he had the blonde’s complete attention, he said in his most serious and sincerest voice, “While not the greatest idea, I get why you did it, because I would’ve done the exact same thing.”

Mac slowly gave Jack a touched smile, with the dark-haired man returned. With his Mom and Grandpa dead, his father AWOL, no siblings, the only person he really had was his best friend Bozer. Jack though, somehow snuck passed his carefully made walls, but Mac found he didn’t mind as much as he thought he would. Though the sniper could be a bit annoying at times, Mac had to admit that the older soldier was growing on him. For the first time since he had been partnered up with Jack, the blonde finally felt like they were truly partners without any doubts. And Mac had a finally they would be partners for a long time yet.

He didn’t say any of his thoughts out loud though. Instead, Mac watched as Jack laid back down as a nurse came over and admonished him for moving so soon after he had been injured. Predictably, Jack flirted with her for a bit while he somewhat ignored her orders, but soon fell back asleep as Mac kept a close eye on his partner, not planning on moving until Jack was released from the infirmary.


	3. Launching the Rescue

Jack Dalton had been angry many times before, and he had also been scared before. Of course he had been, there probably wasn’t a person in the entire world who had never felt those emotions before, either separately or at the same time. But Jack had never felt like this before. His fury was like fire, his blood beyond boiling as it ran through his veins to every inch of his body. The fear though, was like a dark cloud hanging over him, yet was also like gasoline, fueling the anger inside of him, and it would leave until he, and the other five soldiers he was with completed their mission. Wouldn’t leave until he got Mac back.

His partner had been taken by insurgents only two days ago, but it was far too long in Jack’s opinion. It was supposed to be an easy assignment. There had been a report that came in from a scouting team, that they thought they saw some explosive devices along a stretch of road another team was going to have to use in the next few days. So Jack, Mac, Charlie, and Charlie’s new partner Luke, were sent to check it out and disarm the devices if there were any. They went, thinking they were walking into a simple task that would take two hours tops. They ended up walking into an ambush that ended with Luke injured and Mac missing.

It didn’t take long for them to realize that Mac had been taken hostage by the insurgents, nor did it take long for the find where they were holding the young soldier. It did, however, take a little while for a team to be assembled and for a plan to be made. If it was up to Jack, he would’ve just stormed the building by himself the second he found out where his partner was. Then there was one of the Generals at the base wondering if Jack was able to lead the mission given how close he was to it. Jack had a few choice words to give that particular man, but finally, the team was assembled, with Jack leading of course, and they were right outside the building where the intel said the insurgents were with Mac.

“On three.” Jack said to the soldier who was going to bust in the door. When the soldier nodded, letting him know that he heard him and had no objections, Jack started counting down, “One, two, three!”

The second the door banged open, Jack was storming through, his military rifle held tightly in his hands, ready to fire. It was a good thing he was because the insurgents in the room were all shouting and scrambling to get to their own weapons to shoot at the invaders. However, with surprise and numbers on their side, Jack’s team quickly subdued them and the sniper immediately began searching for his missing partner.

“Mac! Mac!” Jack shouted the blonde’s name as loud as he could, hoping MacGyver would hear it above the noise of chaos that filled the building.

When he couldn’t hear a response, he knew that it was because of one of four possibilities. Either he simply couldn’t hear the kid over the shouting of insurgents and fellow soldiers, or Mac was unconscious, or he was no longer here, or, he was dead. Jack prayed it was one of the first two possibilities. If Mac had been taken to a different place, there was a chance they might never find him, and if he was dead, no, he wasn’t dead. Jack refused to believe that.

Jack made his way around the large, open room he was in before the light on his rifle revealed a door that was locked with a large chain link and padlock. _Bingo_ , the sniper thought to himself as he made his way over to it. After inspecting the lock for a moment, Jack slammed the butt of his rifle against it as hard as he could. He had to do it at least three times, but finally, the lock broke and Jack pushed the door open. What he saw made his blood turn cold.

The blonde was lying in a heap on the concrete floor, completely limp, eyes closed, and without a shirt. There were zip-ties tying his wrists together in front of him, tight enough that they cut the skin deep enough make his wrists bleed. That was all Jack needed to see before he rushed over to his partner, falling down to his knees beside him. Once he was on the ground, he quickly but gently shifted Mac so he could better see what condition the bomb expert was in.

The kid’s left eye was black and swollen. There was a cut on the eyebrow of that eye as well and though it had clearly bleed, it was scabbed over now. His left cheekbone was bruised and there was another cut on the left corner of his upper lip. Whoever had used the young man as a punching bag was clearly right-handed. Jack then looked down at Mac’s wrists, and winced when he saw how tight the zip-ties actually were. They were digging so deep into the flesh that Jack wouldn’t have been surprised if they cut all the way to the bone.

What caught the Jack’s attention next, was the fact that there were dried trails of blood snaking down from Mac’s restraints to his elbows, and that his hair was somewhat damp. The sniper looked up, and saw a hook hanging from the ceiling, then looked around the room a saw a large, rusted sink in the corner with a metal bucket on the floor beside it. The pieces immediately fell into place. The kid’s captors must’ve had him hanging by his arms and apparently threw a bucket of water on him. An urge to go and kill the people who hurt his partner rose up inside of him, but Jack forced it down. The only thing that mattered right now, was making sure Mac was okay and getting him to safety.

“Mac, wake up. Wake up.” Jack begged the kid, gently shaking his shoulder. Mac hadn’t moved or made a noise since the sniper found him, and even though it had only been a few seconds since he opened the door and came into the room, that worried the older soldier greatly. After a few more seconds though and some persistent shaking, a pair of blue eyes slowly opened.

“Jack?” Though the voice is quiet and hoarse, to the worried brunette, it might as well be music.

“Yeah, I’m here. And I’m getting you out of here.” Jack told him with a smile, then reached into his pocket to pull out his switchblade.

“Knew you would.” Mac muttered, closing his eyes while Jack cut the zip-ties keeping his wrists together. Jack was about to tell him to stay awake, but when he pulled the plastic off Mac’s skin, he winced loudly and his eyes reopened due to the sudden pain.

Jack winced in sympathy, but put his knife back in his pocket and grabbed Mac’s arms and said, “Come on, let’s go.”

Slowly, Jack helped Mac stand up, then put the blonde’s arm around his shoulders while his other arm went around the kid’s waist. Mac flinched a little, but Jack kept going. As much as he hated that his partner was hurt and that moving him was causing him more pain, he had to get him out of here and back to the base, had to get him to the infirmary where he would get the help he needed. Once he had the blonde upright and supported, he led him out of the room and towards safety.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Despite the ache in his back and neck, the numbness in his legs and backside, and the fact that he had barely slept in the last four days, Jack remained in his seat beside the infirmary cot where his partner was laying. It had been almost 48 hours since Mac had been rescued, but after passing out in the truck only minutes after Jack had found him, he remained unconscious. Though it worried the older soldier, he knew that it was to be expected considering how badly injured the blonde was.

Mac had eight broken ribs on his left side, which had caused some internal bleeding. Luckily, though still very serious, it wasn’t massive and they got him to medical in time. He also had hairline fractures on two ribs on his right side, a concussion, and a sprained ankle. There were also deep lacerations on Mac’s wrists due to the zip-ties. Jack was surprised that they didn’t need stitches, but they were bad enough that the doctor glued and wrapped them. He had also given the young man antibiotics in case he had gotten any bacteria in his body, but the doctor assured the sniper that Mac would make a complete recovery.

Looking at the kid now though, Jack was not really convinced. He just looked so broken and battered, so vulnerable and helpless. He had never seen his partner look like that. Even when he had opened up about his family, there was a fight in his eyes, a strength that told Jack that he would power through, that he would be okay. Jack didn’t see that right now though, and he probably wouldn’t until the kid woke up.

Jack let out a sigh and lowered his head a little as he brought up his hand to rub his eyes, trying to stay awake. Though the doctor said that Mac would probably be asleep for a while, due to his exhaustion, injuries, and the drugs that he was on, Jack refused to leave to get any sleep. He had to be there when Mac woke up, but he was struggling not to fall asleep in the chair.

As if the blonde knew that his partner was about pass out, Jack heard a small, barely audible groan coming from the young man on the bed. His head immediately snapped up so he could see the younger soldier’s face clearly.

“Mac?” Jack called out quietly, not sure if his partner was really awake or not. A few seconds later, the kid’s eyes opened. Seeing the dazed and confused look in Mac’s baby blue’s, Jack stayed quiet for another few seconds, just to make sure that Mac wasn’t about to just fall back asleep. The blonde didn’t though. Instead, his eyes cleared a little before they found him.

“How you feeling?” Jack wondered, still keeping his voice on the quieter side.

Mac let out another small, slightly louder, groan before he closed his eyes and said, “Been better.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile at Mac’s answer, even though his voice was extremely hoarse, as he replied, “I have no doubt about that. They sure did a number on you. You’re going to be here for a while.”

Mac nodded, letting his partner know that he heard him, but didn’t say anything for a moment, nor did he open his eyes. At first, Jack thought that maybe Mac had fallen back asleep, but then he opened his eyes again and said, “Thanks, for getting me out.”

“Did you doubt that I would?” Jack questioned with a grin, a little taken aback at how sincere and serious the kid’s tone was.

“Well you sure took your time.” Mac responded with his own grin, causing Jack’s to widen. But then, the blonde dropped the smile, his expression turning to one of seriousness before he revealed, “I’m, I’m not used to people really being there, when I need them.”

Mac wasn’t exactly sure why he told Jack that. It wasn’t that it wasn’t the truth. He lost his Mom, his Dad walked out on him, his Grandpa died, as did Pena. The only person who had been constant in Mac’s life, who had always had his back and stuck around, was his best friend Bozer. Lately though, he had found that he was getting a lot closer to his partner, and that scared him. In his experience, getting close to people only got you hurt.

“I’m always going to be there when you need me.” Jack replied, getting Mac’s complete attention. The older soldier then put his hand on Mac’s shoulder and said, “You’re stuck with me brother.”

The blonde stared at him in shock. Jack had never called him that before, no one had, besides Bozer occasionally, and Mac didn’t mind it. Not one bit. He was okay with having an older brother. He actually really liked the idea.

“Thank you.”

“Your welcome. Now go to sleep. You need it.” Jack ordered with a gentle tone. Mac didn’t need to be told twice. He closed his eyes and let his exhaustion claim him once again, knowing he was safe under the watchful eye of his brother.


	4. Guns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter deals with Mac's issues with guns. So far in the show, we don't really know why Mac doesn't like guns, and this is just something that came to my mind when I wondered why. Hope this doesn't offend anyone or anything.

When a person joins the military, they are more than aware that they will eventually be going into a warzone. It’s the first thing anyone learns about military, it’s why countries have it, to fight for their country and to protect its citizens. There always comes a day though, when something happens that just pulls your legs out from under you. There is stuff that soldiers see, things that can and do happen to them, and things that they do as well that just messes with their heads. Jack had known this, experienced it before. He could deal with it if it happened to him, but it wasn’t at this point. No, this was happening to his partner, his brother.

Jack knew that Mac hated guns. Sure, the kid never came right out and said it, but he had seen the way his partner looked at the weapons, seen how he never appeared eager to touch one, seen that if he ever had to disarm someone, which he could easily do despite looking like a teenager, he immediately emptied it and threw it to the side. It was as though he never wanted to touch one. The sniper didn’t really know why though. Then again, there was still a lot he didn’t know about the blonde. What he did know though, was that Mac wouldn’t use one, even to defend himself when they were in a shootout with a bunch of enemy soldiers, like they were now.

He wasn’t exactly how, but the mission went completely wrong. They were on their way to a small village where they were supposed to meet up with other soldiers in the nearby area before heading back to the Sandbox. Since they wanted to be there as soon as possible, they got up as early as they could so they would only waste one day. On the way there however, near lunch time, they were ambushed by insurgents. Jack immediately began firing back, as did the other two soldiers who were with them while Mac got out of the crossfire. However, that was easier said than done as the were nearly completely surrounded.

“Mac! Watch out!” Jack shouted out a warning when he saw an insurgent about to fire in his partner’s direction. Instinctively, Mac ducked for cover, despite the fact that he had no idea where the threat was or anything about it. It was a good thing he did though because bullets started flying right at the spot where he had been standing.

For a moment, Mac stared in shock at the place he had just been a few seconds ago, watching the bullets keep flying even though he wasn’t even there anymore. Ever since he had joined the military, he had had a number of close calls, and he knew it, but never had he seen that people were so desperate to kill him that they were okay with wasting their bullets on destroying a place that he had simply been standing in. It’s was terrifying, and a bit sickening. Suddenly, there was a large hand on his shoulder, causing the blonde to immediately tense up and turn to see who it was. He relaxed slightly when he saw that it was just Jack.

“We gotta move forward! Stay behind me!” Jack ordered, almost yelling in order to be heard. Mac nodded, knowing that not only was his partner in protective mode and was not going to take no for an answer, he had no way to protect himself at the moment and therefore was safer behind Jack. And while Mac may not really like depending on someone else to keep him safe, he liked it better than being the one firing the guns in a fight like this.

Once he saw that his partner was safely behind him, Jack started leading him back towards the truck. As long as the tires and engines weren’t damaged, they should still run and from what he could tell, the people shooting at them didn’t have any vehicles. That meant they could still outrun them, and that would be better standing there like fish in a barrel. However, it was at that moment that the insurgents decided now was the time to charge at them.

Jack immediately pushed Mac in between the two trucks as he and the other two soldiers kept firing at them. The bomb expert took this opportunity to climb into the back of the truck to look for any grenade, bomb, or just some tools he could use to make some sort of weapon to ward off the attackers, but found none. At first, he was surprised as they usually kept weapons in the back, then remembered as they were heading to the Sandbox, they gave them to the other soldiers that were heading out into the field to use.

Not wanting to get in the way of the fight going on, Mac decided to stay in his spot, though he crouched down a little lower as bullets could easily get through the tarp that covered the back of the truck. As he turned around to see what was going on, he saw one of their attackers running right for them, and watched as a bullet fired and hit him in the chest, tearing through his body before he fell to the ground. He didn’t get back up.

“Mac! You okay?” Jack demanded as he looked over to his partner after making sure that there were no insurgents still shooting at them. He was pretty sure they got them all, but if there were any others, they were probably on the run now. The blonde however continued staring at something, causing Jack to turn around and see a body of one of their attackers lying facedown in the sand roughly 30 feet from them. He looked back over at Mac, and while the younger soldier continued staring, he still answered his partner.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” The sniper could tell that that was just an automatic response from the bomb expert. His voice had been too shaky, his eyes were a little too glassy, and he wasn’t even looking at him. Growing a little concerned, Jack reached into the truck and touched Mac’s arm, causing his head to snap in his direction.

“You sure?” Jack questioned with a gentle tone once he realized that he had his partner’s complete attention.

“Yeah. I’m okay.” Mac assured him. Jack still didn’t fully believe him as the kid still looked a bit shaken, and almost haunted, but since they didn’t really have time to fully get into it, he nodded.

“Come on man, let’s get out of here.” Jack told him, holding out a hand to help him out of the back of the truck. To his surprise, Mac actually took it. Once he was out and standing on the ground, Jack reminded him, “We got to get to the safe house and get out of here.”

Mac didn’t say anything. He simply nodded and walked around the vehicle to get into the passenger seat. Jack’s worry started to grow at his partner’s lack of response, but there was no time to get into it now. The fact that the road they were on was guarded, there was a very good chance the safe house was compromised. They still had to go check to make sure though, especially since they were meeting other fellow soldiers there. So, Jack got into the driver’s seat without another word.

The rest of the drive was passed in silence. Mac was staring out the passenger window, while Jack kept his eyes either on the road in front of them, his side window, or his partner. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something going on with the blonde. They had spent lots of time in silence before, but this was different. It seemed, almost tense or something, and the sniper didn’t like it one bit. The haunted look he had seen in the boy’s baby blues didn’t help either.

The older soldier was in the process of looking at the younger one when Mac turned his head so he could look in front of them, then suddenly tensed up and said, “Jack?”

“What?” Jack asked, but then he too looked away ahead and muttered, “Oh no.”

The safe house, which was actually just an old, random building in the middle of the desert, had three vehicles parked in front of it that were empty, but it was the sight of four soldiers lying on their backs that caused the alarm. As they drove closer, they also saw the bodies of three insurgents, also on the ground and not moving.

“Look around for any survivors.” Jack ordered his partner and the two soldiers once they had parked their trucks and got out.

Nobody needed to be told twice. Immediately the soldiers searched the building while the only bomb specialist looked around outside. Unfortunately, all he found were more lifeless bodies, causing the already sickening feeling in his stomach that he had ever since he watched that person get shot only about an hour earlier to worsen. The sight of how many people had been killed, soldiers and insurgents alike was devastating to the young man. He had seen a lot of terrible things during his tour, but this, on top of actually watching someone die earlier, it was just terrible and heartbreaking. No other way to describe it.

“You find anyone still alive?” Jack’s voice yanked Mac out of his thoughts, causing him to turn around to see his partner coming over to him, a worried expression on his face.

“No. You?” Mac wondered, hoping that maybe someone survived the massacre that had evidently happened. Jack however, shook his head.

“So what now?” The blonde asked, glancing back at the bodies.

“Now, we follow the plan and head back to the Sandbox.” Jack answered. When he saw the blonde nod, he turned to walk back to the trucks, but one glance behind him showed the Mac hadn’t moved.

“You alright Mac?” Jack questioned, watching his friend with a concerned look.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Mac answered, then began walking. Jack didn’t move this time. Instead, he stayed put and watched the kid for a minute.

He wasn’t exactly sure what was going with him, but he was acting differently. The sniper didn’t doubt that his partner was probably just a little shaken over the events that happened today, but he had seen stuff like this before since he had been in Afghanistan. Maybe not to this extent, but odds were, that there was something else that was going on with him, something he didn’t know about. And he was going to find out what it was.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Ever since Jack had been partnered with the blonde, skinny, bomb expert, he had constantly felt a bit of worry and protectiveness over him. Even back when he was frustrated and upset the two got paired up at all after they first met. He couldn’t help it, there was just something about the kid that made him feel like he had to keep him safe. It got worse after the two actually started getting to know each other and became friends. Usually, the feeling would fade into the background once he knew that they were safe, but right now, even though they were in the Sandbox, one of the safest places they could be, that worry he felt was almost through the roof.

It had been two days since they came across the massacre at the safe house and they arrived at the Sandbox, but during that entire time, Mac hadn’t said a word. At first, Jack let it be as he knew that that was a horrifying sight and he might just need a little time to process what he saw, but now, he was getting beyond concerned. Deciding he had waited long enough, he made his way over to the steps of one of the buildings where Mac was sitting with a bottle of water.

“Here you go. Thought you might be thirsty.” Jack said as he held out the water bottle in his hand right to Mac’s face so he’d see it. He had been watching his partner like a hawk, and knew that the kid had been sitting out here in the sun for at least two and a half hours.

Mac took the offered drink with a nod, but didn’t open it or anything. He just held it in his hand. Jack stayed still for another few seconds before he moved to sit down on the steps beside his partner. He thought that the kid might make some sort of response when he did that, but no. It was like Mac didn’t even realize he was there.

“Okay, you haven’t said a word since we got here nearly two days ago.” Jack tried to keep his voice calm, not wanting to seem overly confrontational, but he was pretty sure he didn’t do a good job of it. He had been getting so worried and frustrated with the blonde over the last few days.

“Haven’t really had anything to say.” Mac told him, his voice so quiet it was hard for the older soldier to hear it.

“Come on Mac, talk to me. What’s going on in that big head of yours?” Jack pushed the kid to explain to him what was on his mind.

“You know why I don’t use guns? Why I hate them?” Mac suddenly asked after about another minute of silence, finally turning his head to look at the sniper.

“No. I’ve wondered, but since you’re the bomb expert and not the sniper, I didn’t think much about it.” Jack answered.

“You saw what happened to those soldiers Jack. People with guns, they cause so much pain, so much death Jack.” As the blonde said that, the more confused the brunette got. He knew first hand how much damage guns could do, he had caused some of it as well. What he didn’t get though, was that they in the military, they were fighting for their country. So why did the blonde sound so upset about that? Did he think that they were just as bad as the people they were fighting or something? Didn’t he know that when he joined the army they would be using guns? Or was there something else going on that Jack didn’t know about?

“One of my best friend’s, his young brother, found his Dad’s gun. He was running with it and tripped. He died, on his birthday.” Mac lowered his head as he recalled the day Bozer’s brother died. He remembered his Grandpa telling him about what happened, and how he stuck by his best friend’s side like glue, wanting to be there for him. And he remembered how broken, how horrified, how devastated Bozer was.

Mac didn’t need to look up at his partner to know that there was probably horrified expression on the man’s face. He just continued telling his friend what was on his mind, “Jack, I know that we are fighting to help these people, and to help protect our country but, when people have those weapons, that kind of power in their hands, especially the wrong people, others get hurt. Innocent people, men, women, and children get hurt.”

To say the sniper was shocked, would be an understatement. He knew there had to be something else going on to cause a response like the one Mac had to a fire fight. There usually was, but he never, ever expected to hear something like that. The pain in his partner’s voice cut right into Jack’s heart. Though the blonde always had his walls up, he was a person who cared very deeply about the people he let in, and felt their pain like his own.

The older soldier was trying to think of a response when Mac suddenly spoke again, “Jack, I may be able to do a lot of things, but I never want to be the one holding the gun. I never want to risk hurting innocent people.”

“I almost shot a fellow soldier you know?” Mac told him, causing Jack’s eyes to widen, “Back when you got shot. I heard someone coming and I just grabbed it. I was trying to protect you. But the fact that I almost shot, almost killed somebody, it makes me sick.”

The fear and pain in his brother’s voice caused Jack to scoot closer to the kid and wrap his arms around him, holding him tightly. He didn’t really care that they might be seen or anything like that. All he cared about was that his partner was traumatized by something that happened when he was a kid and by what had all happened while he was in the military. He had a feeling Mac was already a bit of a pacifist by nature, but those events made it more extreme. And if he wasn’t comfortable using a gun, if doing that was just going to end up hurting him, Jack wasn’t going to let him.

“Don’t worry Mac. You won’t ever have to worry about doing anything like that again, I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is just what I think Mac’s reasons for not wanting to use guns are. I hope it doesn’t offend anyone in anyway, that is the last thing I want to do.


	5. Goodbye?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sure I am not the only fan who is upset that Jack is no longer on the show, and that we didn’t get to see more of a goodbye between Mac and Jack. So, this chapter has more of that along with flashbacks to when Mac and Jack separated after the military. This is the last chapter in this story. I hope you all like it!

_“Oh, you invited me here to,”_

_“To say goodbye to a good friend.”_

The words rang through Mac’s head and had been for the last ten minutes. When Jack told him what was going on and his words registered in Mac’s brain, he fell completely silent. In a shocked daze, he sat down on the couch, trying to process that his partner, his best friend, his brother was being assigned to a mission that could take years and wasn’t going to be able to go with him. They had gone on separate missions before. It was rare, but it happened. It had actually been happening more often lately.

This was different though. This wasn’t one of their usually missions that would only take a couple of days. A few weeks at most. Mac knew that when they first went after Kovac, it took two years. Jack had told him all about it. If he went, it could take just as long, maybe even longer and Mac, and none of their team, their family, could help.

“Mac? Please say something, you’re starting to freak me out.” Mac turned his gaze to Jack. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice that he had sat down in front of him, or that he had been talking the entire time.

“Sorry, I just… that’s lot to process.” Mac said. Before Jack could give a response, the blonde asked, “How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t know. However long it takes.” Jack answered. Mac expected that though. Right as he asked the question, he realized how stupid it was because he already knew the answer. He just couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Jack waited another minute or two before he asked, “You okay Mac?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay.” Mac told him, but Jack knew that Mac was still somewhat lost in that big head of his. He could tell from the distant look in his blue eyes and that he was looking everywhere but at him.

“You know, just forget I said anything about it. I’ll say no, I’ll tell them to find someone else to lead the team.” Jack told him. When he first got the news, he promised himself that if his friends, his family, didn’t want him to go, he wouldn’t. He didn’t care about the possible consequences for disobeying his orders. Family was far more important.

“No, no, it’s okay. You have to go. If there’s anyone who could find this guy, it’s you.” Mac quickly objected, finally meeting his eyes.

“I know. I am pretty awesome.” Jack agreed with a cocky grin before his face turned serious again and he said, “I’m more worried about you man. You know how I feel about you going on dangerous missions without me watching your back. You haven’t had the best of luck in the field lately without me.”

Mac shook his head slightly, knowing he exactly what Jack was thinking of, “The incident on the survival training weekend was not anyone’s fault Jack. And it definitely proved that Riley and Bozer are more than capable in the field. I’ll be okay.”

Jack nodded, but lowered his eyes. He hated the idea of leaving the Phoenix, of leaving Riley, of leaving Mac, but the blonde was right. He knew that their team had grown, in their maturity, experience, skills. They could take care of themselves without him, but he hated that he wasn’t going to be able to make sure of it. They were going to be out in the field, doing dangerous things without him watching their backs. That didn’t though that no one would be. He knew that they would need to get another bodyguard for them.

“I’ll talk to Matty, tell her that I’m picking your new bodyguard. I ain’t letting someone I don’t know or trust be the one watching your back.” Jack laid down his condition. He would go only if he knew and trusted the person who would be taking care of his ‘brother’, his ‘daughter’ and their friend.

“Sounds good to me.” Mac agreed with a smile.

For another minute or two, they were completely silent, both processing everything they just talked about and what was about to happened. The silence was broken when Mac asked, “Who did you have as a bodyguard before I got hired for the Phoenix? You were here for a couple of months before me.”

“I didn’t have one. I was mostly just working in the lab until you got hired.” Mac answered.

“Must’ve been boring.” Jack commented with a chuckle. 

“Well, work suddenly got a lot more exciting when you came.” Mac told him, giving the older man a pointed smile. Then he shook his head and added, “Seems crazy that there actually was a time that we didn’t work together.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Jack quickly agreed. They both could easily remember when they, briefly, went their separate ways.

_*Flashback*_

_“Careful Jack, you don’t want to burn those.” Mac warned his friend with a smile as the sniper fussed over the steaks he was grilling in Mac’s barbeque._

_It had been about a month since the two had finished their military tours and returned to the States for good. During that time, they traveled from Texas to Los Angeles, enjoying some well deserved time off. Jack had wanted Mac to meet his whole family and Mac wanted Jack to finally meet his best friend Bozer. The older man was really curious about a person actually named ‘Bozer’, and even more so when Mac started telling him about all the stuff they pulled when they were growing up._

_After tonight though, it would be over. Jack had to leave in the morning for his new job working for the CIA and that was all Mac knew. Jack wasn’t allowed to tell him much more, though the blonde could tell it bugged him that he couldn’t share any more details. However, Mac didn’t hold it against him. His new job, working at the DXS, a secret agency in the government, had the cover of being a think tank, and that was all he could tell Jack. Granted, once he said the words ‘think tank’, Jack didn’t ask for more details. He said that he geeked out enough to him and didn’t need to hear about his geeky job too._

_“Come on man. You know I’d never burn steaks.” Jack replied. Mac raised his eyebrows at him. Jack had proven that cooking was not really his best skill several times, but when it did come to one of his favourite meals and it was on a barbeque, he tended to be more careful._

_As Jack finished the steaks, which were luckily not burnt, and put the on the plate, Mac asked, “So, are you ready to start your new job at the CIA? It sounds exciting.”_

_“Oh yeah, totally ready to get back in the action. Time off is great and all, but I’m getting totally stir-crazy.” Jack replied. Mac didn’t him to tell him the last part. He had known for weeks that Jack was bored out of his mind._

_“What about you? You looking forward to being a think tank with all the other nerds?” Jack wondered, sounding as though he couldn’t actually believe that working at think tank could be fun._

_“Yeah, I am. It’ll be nice not having to dumb everything down whenever I took to someone.” Mac joked._

_“And it’ll be nice to talk to people who speak normally instead of using big, sciency words.” Jack retorted with a grin._

_“‘Sciency’ isn’t a word Jack.” The blonde pointed out even though he knew Jack wouldn’t care._

_“Well, it should be.” Jack insisted, just as he always did whenever Mac objected to him using that word._

_The next few minutes, they were silent because they were eating, which was actually pretty good despite Jack’s lack of cooking skills. Soon though, Mac broke the silence by saying, “It’s going to be weird not working with you though.”_

_“Yeah, because I’m awesome.” Jack replied with a cocky grin, “There’s no way anyone at the think tank is as cool as me.”_

_Mac chuckled a little, but then, with a more serious tone, Jack added, “I’m going to miss you too.”_

_“I know there’s probably nothing that dangerous that could happen at a think tank, besides your brains exploding from thinking too hard, but promise me you stay safe. You tend to get in trouble a lot.” Jack then asked, somewhat joking somewhat serious, but Mac couldn’t deny what he had said. There were times it seemed everywhere he went, trouble followed him. But it was Jack who was joining the CIA, which was a lot more dangerous than working in a top secret lab._

_“I promise, I’ll stay as safe as possible as long as you do the same. You’re the one that’s going to be doing a lot more dangerous things than me.” Mac responded._

_“I promise brother. I may be in a different city, but you ain’t getting rid of me that easily.” Jack promised._

_“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I’m glad to hear that.” Mac said with a chuckle._

That day, Mac wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to work with his friend again. But about a year later, Mac had been promoted to field work and needed a bodyguard. He instantly thought of Jack, trusting the former sniper more than anyone to watch his back. Of course, he didn’t know if Jack would be willing to leave his job at the CIA, but when he mentioned it to him, the older man jumped at the offer. Next thing they both knew, they were together again and were meeting Nikki Carpenter and reporting directly to Director Patricia Thornton.

“Have you told anyone else yet?” Mac wondered, looking back up at his partner as the memory fell away.

“No, not yet. Wanted to tell you first.” Jack answered. He knew he would have to tell the others soon, but had no idea how to do it. Just telling Mac was difficult enough.

Another few minutes passed in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Looking at Jack, Mac knew exactly what was the cause of the worried crease in Jack’s forehead. After working side-by-side for years, they could both fairly easily read the other person’s mind. And right now, there was only thing that was on Jack’s.

“I know you’re worried about us Jack, but we’ll be okay.” Mac assured him. Jack nodded, but didn’t look convinced, not that that really surprised the blonde agent. The older agent never trusted anyone to take care of them, not even themselves.

“Just, promise me you guys will stay safe, and alive until I get back.” Jack pleaded, actually sounding terrified of leaving them.

“Only if you promise to get back here as soon as possible.” Mac replied with a smile.

“I will brother.” Jack agreed, then leaned forward to wrap his arms around Mac’s shoulders in a hug which Mac quickly returned. As he held his best friend tightly for what might be the last time for a while, he whispered, “I will.”

He didn’t what was going to happen, but he would do everything he could to make sure that he’d come back. Nothing short of death would keep him away from his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the end of this one-shot series. I hope you all liked it!

**Author's Note:**

> So, I have no real knowledge about American military and how it works, so I was just winging it. Hope it wasn’t too bad. And I know that Mac and Jack might seem a little OOC, but remember, this was back when they first met, before they had become friends and brothers, so their relationship isn’t going to be exactly like it is in the show. And I just feel that Mac is a pretty guarded person when it comes to anything personal and he wouldn’t have shared much with Jack unless he was forced to, which he felt like he was in this instance, especially about his mother cause I can totally see him getting defensive if she was brought up. I hope you guys liked this chapter.


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